Skate wheel cover mounts

ABSTRACT

A skate wheel axle engages a removable skate wheel mounted on a rotational bearing support and is held in place by a wheel fastener such as a nut. A wheel cover mounting receives a wheel cover. The wheel cover is removably engaged with the cover mounting means by corresponding first and second part engagement threads.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This is a continuation-in-part application of a prior filed andcurrently pending application having Ser. No. 10/316,624 and file dateof Dec. 10, 2002 and title: Skate Wheel Covers.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

[0002] Applicant(s) hereby incorporate herein by reference, any and allU.S. patents, U.S. patent applications, and other documents and printedmatter cited or referred to in this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] 1. Field of the Invention

[0004] This invention relates generally to wheel cover mounts and moreparticularly to wheel cover mounts for skate wheels wherein wheel coversare able to be attached and detached to skate wheels.

[0005] 2. Description of Related Art

[0006] The prior art teaches hub cap mounts for decoration and forcovering automobile wheels to prevent debris from entering bearing andbrake assemblies, but does not teach a simple, injection molded partenabled for easily mounting a skate wheel cover for providing decorationand enabling the exclusion of debris from the interior of the skatewheel. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides furtherrelated advantages as described in the following summary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention teaches certain benefits in constructionand use which give rise to the objectives described below.

[0008] Skate wheels used on skates and skate boards are generallyassembled with bearing sets so as to provide low friction rollingforces. However, to enable such wheels to be easily replaced, simplemountings are provided which leave the bearing assemblies exposed to theelements. The present invention is a means for better securing theinterior of the skate wheel against mud, water and other debrisencountered on street surfaces. In the present invention, a skate wheelaxle engages a removable skate wheel mounted on a rotational bearingsupport and is held in place by a wheel fastener such as a nut. A wheelcover mounting receives a wheel cover. The wheel cover is removablyengaged with the cover mounting means by corresponding first and secondpart engagement threads. In one embodiment, the wheel cover is threadedonto a threaded insert which may be pressed or molded into the wheel. Inan alternate embodiment, the cover is threaded onto a cup-shaped fixtureheld under the nut.

[0009] A primary objective of the present invention is to provide anapparatus and method of use of such apparatus that provides advantagesnot taught by the prior art.

[0010] Another objective is to provide such an invention capable ofexcluding dust and dirt particulate from the interior of a skate wheel.

[0011] A further objective is to provide such an invention capable ofexcluding water from the interior of a skate wheel.

[0012] A still further objective is to provide such an invention capableof being secured to a skate wheel by threaded engagement of theinvention into an insert molded into the wheel, or by threadedengagement between the cover and a fixture held under the nut of thewheel mounting fixture.

[0013] Other features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following more detailed description, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way ofexample, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. Insuch drawings:

[0015]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the inventionillustrating a preferred embodiment of a wheel cover mount thereof;

[0016]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a further preferredembodiment of the invention;

[0017]FIGS. 3 and 4 are full vertical cross-sectional views of theembodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 respectfully, showing means formounting wheel covers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The above described drawing figures illustrate the invention inat least one of its preferred embodiments, which is further defined indetail in the following description.

[0019] The present invention is an apparatus comprising in combination:a skate wheel 10 is made of a resilient material such as rubber andprovides a through axial bore 30, the bore engaging a bearing assembly40. An axle 50 provides a threaded terminal portion 52. The bearingassembly 40 is fixed onto the threaded terminal portion 52 by acompression nut 60 so as to functionally capture the bearing assembly 40skate wheel 10. As shown in the figures, the bearing assembly 40,preferably comprises a pair of spaced-apart circular bearings, eachhaving a revolving race engaged with the interior wall of the axial bore30, and in rotational communion by ball bearings with a non-revolvingrace held in place by transaxle compressive forces from nut 60. Thisarrangement is well known and in common use for enabling low frictionrotation. A wheel cover 72 (FIGS. 1 and 2) is preferably made of aplastic material by a molding process. The wheel cover (or cap) 72provides a decorative face plate 70, and, extending axially therefrom, acylindrical mounting tube 74. The tube 74 provides, in a preferredembodiment, a machine thread 76 on an exterior surface and is engaged bythreaded engagement with the skate wheel 10. The face plate 70 providesan outside diameter “D” (FIG. 3) that is greater than the diameter ofthe axial bore 30. This enables the wheel cover 72 to fully cover theopening to the bore 30 so as to deflect mud, water and debris fromentering the bore 30. As stated and shown, the cylindrical mounting tube74 extends into the axial bore 30 and is engaged within the bore 30 forholding the wheel cap 70 in position as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0020] In one embodiment, shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the invention includesthe skate wheel axle 50; removable skate wheel 10; means for rotationalbearing support 40 (bearing assembly); means for wheel fastening 60;means for wheel cover mounting 20; and the wheel cover 72. The skatewheel 10 is mounted on the bearing means 40 and the axle 50 forrotation, as previously discussed above. The fastening means 60,preferably a hex hut, secures the cover mounting means 20 and the skatewheel to the axle as may be clearly seen in FIG. 1. The wheel cover 72is removably engaged with the cover mounting means 20 by correspondingfirst part engagement means 22, interior threads, mating with secondpart engagement means 76, exterior threads, of the wheel cover 72.Preferably, the threads are common machine type threads. Preferably, themeans for wheel cover mouning 20 is cup shaped as shown and has anaperture 24 for receiving the threaded portion of the skate wheel axle52.

[0021] In a further embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the inventionincludes the same basic parts with the exception that instead of usingthe wheel cover mounting means 20 shown in FIG. 1, a skate wheel insert20′ is used, as shown in FIG. 2. This insert 20′ is preferably made of astrong and tough material such as metal or hard plastic and is eithermolded into or pressed into the wheel 10. In this embodiment, the insert20′ provides internal threads 22′ which engage those of the wheel cover,as shown in FIG. 4.

[0022] In both of the described embodiments, the wheel cover 72 providesa recess 78 for accepting the fastening means 60, the wheel cover 72 inthe embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 4, rotating about the fastening means 60without interference therewith, i.e., the recess 78 is large enough toavoid contact with fastening means 60.

[0023] While the invention has been described with reference to at leastone preferred embodiment, it is to be clearly understood by thoseskilled in the art that the invention is not limited thereto. Rather,the scope of the invention is to be interpreted only in conjunction withthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus comprising in combination: a skatewheel axle; removable skate wheel; means for rotational bearing support;means for wheel fastening; means for wheel cover mounting; and a wheelcover; the skate wheel mounted on the bearing means and the axle forrotation; the fastening means securing the cover mounting means and theskate wheel to the axle; and the wheel cover removably engaged with thecover mounting means by corresponding first part engagement meansinterior to the cover mounting means, mating with second part engagementmeans exterior to the wheel cover.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 whereinthe first and second part engagement means are machine threads.
 3. Theapparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for wheel cover mouning is cupshaped, having an aperture for receiving the skate wheel axle.
 4. Anapparatus comprising in combination: a skate wheel axle; removable skatewheel; means for rotational bearing support; means for wheel fastening;skate wheel insert; and a wheel cover; the skate wheel mounted on thebearing means and the axle for rotation; the fastening means securingthe skate wheel to the axle; and the wheel cover removably engaged withthe skate wheel insert by corresponding first part engagement meansinterior to the skate wheel insert, mating with second part engagementmeans exterior to the wheel cover.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 whereinthe first and second part engagement means are machine threads.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 4 wherein the skate wheel insert is molded into theskate wheel.
 7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the skate wheel insertis pressed into the skate wheel.
 8. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein thewheel cover provides a recess for accepting the fastening means, thewheel cover rotating about the fastening means without interferencetherewith.
 9. An apparatus comprising in combination: a skate wheelaxle; removable skate wheel; means for rotational bearing support; meansfor wheel fastening; means for wheel cover mounting; and a wheel cover;the skate wheel mounted on the bearing means and the axle for rotation;the fastening means securing the skate wheel and bearing support meanson the wheel axle; the wheel cover removably engaged with the covermounting means by corresponding first part engagement means interior tothe cover mounting means, mating with second part engagement meansexterior to the wheel cover.